


Dance With Me: Dreaming of You

by Picajc



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Post-Canon, Romance, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-03 01:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Picajc/pseuds/Picajc
Summary: Hector wants Imelda's first dance in nearly 100 years to be something special.





	Dance With Me: Dreaming of You

**Author's Note:**

> I finally joined AO3! Thank you to all the kind readers over on Tumblr who have already read and reviewed this. Please enjoy!

Escaping the Final Death was… exhausting to say the least. Once the glowing tremors stopped, Hector had fallen into a comatose state for a few days. He was so out of it, he hadn’t realized that sometime between sending Miguel home and waking up, he had been transferred to the Rivera house… Imelda’s house. Waking up in an unfamiliar place had initially startled him, but his amor was right there to reassure him. Hector had been stunned at her gentleness with him, but quickly adapted to this change in attitude toward him. 

Despite the glowing tremors having stopped, and the fact that his bones were starting to brighten, Hector was still incredibly weak. He had attempted to get up and move around on the third day after waking up, but that had proven disastrous. He crumpled to the floor in a heap, and while not particularly pleasant, he noticed that his bones did not come apart quite as easily as they had been doing for the last 10 years or more. He reluctantly went back to bed, but went feeling somewhat more positive about his future. 

Being confined to bed, and Imelda’s desire for him to have someone with him constantly, allowed him to get to talk with and know the new members of his family. He had known Oscar and Felipe in life, and found them to be just as he remembered, only older. He could still tell them apart with an ease that stunned even them- even when they attempted switching heads on him. Oscar and Felipe had planned to say several things to Hector someday about his leaving, but knowing the truth of what happened, they didn’t have the heart to bring up the painful past and were content to let the stern lecture they had planned fade. Hector, however, couldn’t praise the two enough. They had been 16 when he left and had big plans for their futures. Instead of following those plans, they had stayed in Santa Cecilia to help their sister. Hector had never been more grateful to them, or more proud of anyone (with the exception of Imelda). 

Hector found he really liked Julio, and thought they would have gotten along well in life. He had more stories of Coco than anyone, and Hector was always eager to hear them again and again. Julio and Hector shared one similar regret in life- that they had left Coco long before either should have. He found Victoria to be more like Imelda than anyone he had ever met, and that endeared her to him all the more (which in turn endeared him to her- for she had often heard that being so much like Mama Imelda was her biggest flaw). He learned that Victoria had died relatively young (her early 40s) after a short battle with ovarian cancer. His heart broke for his nieta, but she smiled and assured him she didn’t suffer.

His conversation with Rosita had been the most eye opening. He was quick to discover that Rosita was not only a ray of sunshine, but was also a hopeless romantic, much like himself. She would gush over all of the sweet things Coco and Julio would do for each other over the years, and how much happier Mama Imelda seemed now that he was here and awake. 

_“She glows with a happiness I never saw before, Papa Hector,” Rosita smiled. “That’s all because of you!”_

_“Mama Imelda was humming in the workshop this afternoon- she really has the most beautiful voice!”_

____

_“I saw her swaying to the music on the radio today! I can’t wait to see the two of you dance together- I’m sure it’s just a sight! One I’d much rather see than her dancing with that… that… ugh…”_

____

_“Cabron?” Hector asked with a chuckle. He couldn’t see Rosita being able to actually curse anyone, no matter how much they deserved it._

____

_“Yes! It’s not fair- Mama Imelda didn’t get to dance with anyone for almost one hundred years, and the first dance she gets is with…him.”_

____

That threw Hector for a loop. He hadn’t thought of it that way at the time. Ernesto had danced with Imelda. Ernesto had danced with his Imelda. Her first dance in a lifetime and it was with a murderer, and not him. Well, he wasn’t going to stand for that! From that moment, Hector began forming a plan, and he was going to need everyone’s help. As soon as he could stand and walk without help, he was going to dance with his wife, and give her a dance that would wipe any memory of Ernesto’s foul hands on her from her mind.

It took longer than he would have liked to completely recover, but it also gave him time to make sure everything would be perfect for when he was finally able to dance with his amor. A month after Dia de Los Muertos, it was finally time.

Hector and Imelda had made it a nighttime ritual to walk the garden that surrounded the house following dinner. It was time for just the two of them to talk about things, and learn to be comfortable with each other again. They always held onto each other, be it hand holding, or one wrapping an arm around the other. Hector hoped they could add holding each other while dancing to that list. The music ban had been lifted, but he hadn’t dared pulling her into a dance yet. It wasn’t that he was afraid of her reaction, it was just that he wanted their first dance, this dance, to be as special as possible. 

Imelda was sitting in her chair reading a book Victoria had recommended when Hector’s bony hand appeared in front of the words.

“Take a walk with me, diosa?” he asked with a soft smile. 

She smiled at the use of his favorite nickname for her; truth be told, it was her favorite too. She set the book aside and took his hand as he gently pulled her to her feet. He kissed her hand and led her toward the back door that lead out to the garden. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something felt different about this walk. 

She didn’t have to wonder long. As he opened the door and extended his arm to allow her to step out first, she couldn’t believe what she was looking at. Their garden was beautifully lit with lanterns and fairy lights, giving it a soft glow. Even the small fountain at the center was lit with twinkling lights. The sight was enough to take her breath away.

“Do you like it?” Hector asked nervously, twirling his hat in his hands, biting where his lip would have been, like he had done so many times in life.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, finally looking over at him. “What made you do this?”

Now he almost had trouble answering. The way the light hit her face was enchanting, and reminded him of many nights spent down by the river in their youth. She was and would always be beautiful, but sometimes her beauty still managed to knock him sideways. 

“Well, mi amor, I wanted to do something special for you.” A pause as she squeezed his hand a little tighter. “And I keep thinking about Dia de los Muertos, and how I wished I could have stepped in when Ernesto-“

“Hector,” she interrupted him, cupping a hand against his cheek. “We’ve talked about this. It wasn’t-“

“I know,” he stopped her, turning his head to kiss her palm. “But I keep thinking that you deserved something better than that for your first dance in ninety-six years.” Another pause, and he took both of her hands in his. “I mean he never was a great dancer.” They both chuckled at that, several memories coming to mind. “You deserved something beautiful, and bright, and memorable. A dance in a beautiful place, with a beautiful song, with the one who loves you more than life.” 

Imelda watched with tears in her eyes as Hector pointed to someone behind her, and suddenly the garden was filled with the opening of a song she had heard once or twice since Hector had come back to her. 

“Dance with me?” he whispers. So many emotions are flowing that she can only nod and allow him to pull her close.

_Late at night when all the world is sleeping_  
_I stay up and think of you_  
_And I wish on a star that somewhere you are_  
_Thinking of me too_

____

Both are too overcome with emotion to move at first. Being in the others’ arms again is more overwhelming than they could have imagined. They look at one another, eyes shining bright with unshed tears, both so incredibly thankful for this moment. As the song shifts into the chorus, they begin to move in a dance that is as familiar now as it was one hundred years ago.

_'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight_  
_'Till tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight_  
_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_  
_Than here in my room dreaming about you and me_

____

He spins her out ever so gently before pulling her back in and dipping her lightly. He chances a smile at her before pulling her back up and continuing the dance.

_Wonder if you ever see me (see me)_  
_And I wonder if you know I'm there (am I there? Am I?)_  
_If you looked in my eyes, would you see what's inside?_  
_Would you even care?_  
_I just wanna hold you close, but so far_  
_All I have are dreams of you_  
_So I wait for the day and the courage to say_  
_How much I love you, yes I do!_

____

Unbeknownst to the couple twirling around the garden, two pairs of eyes watch from the kitchen window. Both were in awe watching the two move so gracefully about the small garden. Then again, neither Rosita nor Victoria had ever dreamed they would see Mama Imelda this way- dancing, singing… really and truly happy.

_I'll be dreaming of you tonight_  
_'Till tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight_  
_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_  
_Than here in my room dreaming about you and me_

____

“They must have been something to see in life, si?” Rosita said to her niece.

Victoria nodded. “Perhaps we can ask mama about it when she gets here.” Rosita agreed and the two turned their attention elsewhere, wanting to give Hector and Imelda some privacy.

_(Corazón)_  
_I can't stop dreaming of you_  
_(No puedo dejar de pensar en ti)_  
_I can't stop dreaming_  
_(Cómo te necesito)_  
_I can't stop dreaming of you_  
_(Mi amor, cómo te extraño)_

____

Hector continues to lead Imelda around the garden, feeling lighter than he has in decades. She follows his movements happily, relieved to be with him, and free of the burdens a life without him had given her. Both knew that if they could be blessed with these moments for the rest of their afterlives, they would not want for anything more. 

_Late at night when all the world is sleeping_  
_I stay up and think of you_  
_And I still can't believe that you came up to me_  
_And said, "I love you"_  
_I love you too!_

____

____

Hector stops them and looks down at the woman who stole his heat so many years ago, and who held onto it every day since. He feels his phantom heart racing, not from dancing, but because he can’t believe where he is now- holding and dancing with his diosa again, like he had been wanting to since the day he left Santa Cecilia. 

“Hector?” Imelda whispers, curious as to why they stopped, the song still floating around them.

He takes a deep breath, and stares straight into her eyes. “Te amo, Imelda,” he finally says. “Te amo, mucho.”

She smiles up at him with glistening eyes. Whatever little doubts she may have had about letting him back into her life are instantly gone and she can’t help the girlish giggle that escapes her lips. She raises up on tip toes to kiss him with all the passion she possesses.

“I love you too, mi amor,” she answers him. “So very much.”

He can’t help the mega-watt grin that spreads across his face. He lifts Imelda into his arms and kisses her with just as much passion as she had him moments before. He can’t help the grito that bubbles up and out of him and spins Imelda around, her melodic laughter filling him with such joy. 

_Now I'm dreaming with you tonight_  
_'Till tomorrow and for all of my life_  
_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_  
_Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly_  
_With you tonight_  
_And there's nowhere in the world where I'd rather be_  
_Than here in my room, I'll be dreaming_  
_With you tonight_

____

____

As he lays in bed with Imelda that night, feeling more joyous than he had since he was alive, he resolves to make sure dancing in the garden becomes a norm in their house.


End file.
